To celebrate my forthcoming book MsMarmitelover’s Secret Tea Party (pre-order now, out November 27th), which has a directory of UK secret teas in the back, I will occasionally be featuring other secret tea parties, that is private tea rooms in people’s homes. I did my first secret tea party back in April 2009, a few months after I started my underground restaurant. I’ve always loved the ritual, the prettiness, the sandwiches and the baking that goes into an afternoon tea. I like to drink multiple cups of tea, from a pot, intermingled with the odd glass of champagne or teapot cocktail. I adore the gossipy potential of afternoon meetings, dressing up for the occasion.
One such secret tea room is run by Australian cookbook author David Herbert from his house in Norbiton, London. David is a collector and devotee of the Bloomsbury period of art. When you visit his tea room, you are surrounded by valuable china, ceramics, paintings from the Bloomsbury era. You even get to sit on Virginia Woolf’s chairs, the seat cushions were sewn by her.
Plus you get exquisite baking, dainty smoked salmon fingers, the lightest sponges, a beautifully decorated cake (David decorated cakes for the Downton Abbey set and this was a similar example) and relentless silver pots of tea (keep ’em coming, that’s how I like it). The table was dressed with delicate linens, original Edwardian glassware and enormous brightly coloured dahlias from his garden.
David has a wonderful eye, he chose the props and backgrounds for the photo shoots for my V is for Vegan book due next spring. It was an education visiting prop houses with him.
Below is a photo gallery, an unashamed visual feast, a riot of colour and texture, just because his house is so gorgeous, every little bit of it, down to the teaspoons.
One such secret tea room is run by Australian cookbook author David Herbert from his house in Norbiton, London. David is a collector and devotee of the Bloomsbury period of art. When you visit his tea room, you are surrounded by valuable china, ceramics, paintings from the Bloomsbury era. You even get to sit on Virginia Woolf’s chairs, the seat cushions were sewn by her.
Plus you get exquisite baking, dainty smoked salmon fingers, the lightest sponges, a beautifully decorated cake (David decorated cakes for the Downton Abbey set and this was a similar example) and relentless silver pots of tea (keep ’em coming, that’s how I like it). The table was dressed with delicate linens, original Edwardian glassware and enormous brightly coloured dahlias from his garden.
David has a wonderful eye, he chose the props and backgrounds for the photo shoots for my V is for Vegan book due next spring. It was an education visiting prop houses with him.
Below is a photo gallery, an unashamed visual feast, a riot of colour and texture, just because his house is so gorgeous, every little bit of it, down to the teaspoons.
David Herberts Bloomsbury Tea can be booked via davidherbertfood@gmail.com
MMRG
November 15, 2014 at 3:49 pmThis goes to the top of my favourite of all your blogs. The subject, beautiful photographs, smoked salmon finger sandwiches, Tattingers are all my cup of tea.
theundergroundrestaurant
November 15, 2014 at 5:42 pmThank you, it was a beautiful afternoon.
Debs Dust Bunny
November 15, 2014 at 9:06 pmEnchanting!
theundergroundrestaurant
November 16, 2014 at 6:52 pmThanks Debs xx
janice15
November 15, 2014 at 11:49 pmI'm very intrigued and happy to find this post. I have recently inherited my Mamas home it's a old little cottage type in San.Francisco view of the bay and bridge.. It has a dinning room which has never been used as, always been an extra bed room. My moms grand parents who came from Russia purchased it in 1925, anyhow been thinking of having a private tea room this post made me believe it's possible. I have collected depression dishes tea pot cups etc. since years ago I used it all but I love to cook bake have tea parties.. Would be. Fabulous idea thanks for sharing. I loved this post with love Janice
theundergroundrestaurant
November 16, 2014 at 6:52 pmHi Janice, thanks for your comments! Tea parties are perfect for us homeware aficionados!
Porridge Lady
November 16, 2014 at 12:47 pmI remember your first secret tea party so well 🙂 I just re-read your post on the afternoon and the mention you gave me made me chuckle.
theundergroundrestaurant
November 16, 2014 at 6:51 pmIt's funny looking back. Why did I put the pictures so small? I think it was because I was trying to make a change from being a photographer to a food writer and chef so I didn't want to emphasise them or something…
Lisa Niblock
November 16, 2014 at 3:22 pmGorgeous! I love the idea of secret meetings and even more so when then include tea and food!
theundergroundrestaurant
November 16, 2014 at 6:50 pmExactly!! I've got my next Secret Tea Party on November 29th if anybody is in London that weekend.
Truc Vert
November 22, 2014 at 4:28 pmSecret Tea Parties are such a great idea. Actually, pretty much anything involving cake is a pretty phenomenal idea…
theundergroundrestaurant
November 26, 2014 at 6:35 pmYou know, every time I blog about cake I get plenty of hits. You can't go wrong with cake.
David Herbert
November 26, 2014 at 1:38 pmHI.. thanks for the blog post. Just ordered your secret tea party book…. nice to see its available before xmas dx
theundergroundrestaurant
November 26, 2014 at 6:35 pmDavid, it was an absolute pleasure. Thanks so much for ordering my book you absolute darling xx